Taos
by AllTheWiltedFlowers
Summary: This is a sequel to The Art of Studying TAOS . I wanted the oneshot to stand on it's own, but couldn't shake the idea of continuing the story so I'm taking a stab at it. Rated M for later chapters. Yuuki X Kaname.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Knight or any of the characters but I love VK to pieces!

This is a sequel of sorts to The Art of Studying. I wasn't sure I could manage an ongoing story as opposed to a one shot so I thought I'd start it on its own as opposed to attaching it to the original story. I'm going to try and keep this going and hope it comes out well. Any reviews are greatly appreciated and thanks in advance for giving my story a shot.

Kaname kept his eyes closed as Yuuki began to stir. He thought that maybe she would need some time to herself in the morning, to go over in her head what had happened the night before. He would need some time to himself too. The night before had been so incredible, everything he had been waiting for, but he wasn't sure how Yuuki was feeling about everything.

She'd tossed and turned through the night, restlessly trying to get to sleep. As the night progressed it had gotten worse and Kaname began to become concerned. Was she in pain? Physically or emotionally? Did she have regrets about what happened?

He tried once to speak to her, but she turned away from him when he touched her shoulder. It was like she had stabbed him through the hand.

He felt her weight disappear from the bed and heard clothes rustle as she began to collect her things. He heard her tip toe towards the couch where her bag was. It was senseless to tip toe, he could hear her perfectly, and even if he'd been asleep her movements would have woken him up for sure.

The sound of the doorknob turning echoed in the sparsely furnished room and it quietly closed. He listened to her pad down the hallway until the sounds of her footsteps became silent. It was then he opened his eyes and sat up in bed.

He was uncomfortable with the feeling he was left with- not knowing what was going through her head- but he didn't want to confront her about it so soon. He'd never been involved with a human before, in that way, and he wasn't sure what the normal reaction was supposed to be. Did they normally have this reaction after their first time?

He rubbed his temples, wishing he hadn't grown up in such a tight bubble so he'd have a better idea what he was supposed to do.

A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," he grumbled.

The door opened and Aidou slipped into the room. "I take it things didn't go well," he said quietly.

Kaname motioned with one finger for Aidou to come closer. He did, hesitantly, and stood at the foot of the bed. Kaname leaned forward, he fists tightly gripping the sheets as he spoke.

"You heard nothing last night. Are we clear on that? I do not want this getting out amongst the other vampires, or around the humans. I won't have you putting Yuuki's safety in jeopardy with your errant gossip."

"Of…of course. I would never talk about what happened last night." He shifted his weight to his other leg, looking uncomfortable. "What happened?"

"She left," Kaname answered dejectedly. "She didn't even try to wake me up. She just got dressed and left."

Aidou's eyes grew wide. "You mean, the two of you…last night you…"

Kaname groaned, "Well what were you talking about when you asked if things went well?"

"I meant the studying. I thought maybe you two didn't really get anything accomplished in the way of studying. I never would have thought you two…you know."

"This is not how I want to start my morning." Kaname wrapped the sheet around his nude body and climbed out of the bed. "I'm going to get in the shower. This conversation never happened, Aidou. Never."

Aidou nodded and turned to walk out of the room.

"Aidou," Kaname called. His friend paused and turned back around. "I mean it. We never discussed this."

He nodded again and exited the room.

It was nearly impossible for Kaname to function as he walked around the dorm. He couldn't sleep but was still exhausted from the previous night. He couldn't talk to Yuuki since the day class would be swarming around the campus, and there was no one he felt he could talk to amongst the other vampires. He was alone with his thoughts and he hated that. He hated having extra time to think but no ability to act. He decided to retire to his room and wait until the sun was gone and Yuuki went on her patrols.

He replayed the night in his mind. His fingers tingled as they remembered what her skin felt like- damp, quaking, burning, flushed with her blood and excitement. What he wouldn't do to touch it again. He had to touch it again. Now that he knew the pleasure of being with her, the idea of going back to what they were before, just friends engulfed in sexual tension, was unacceptable. He would find a way to make everything okay. He would find a way to get what he wanted.

Night fell and he made his way to the front door.

"Are you skipping class again today?" Akatsuki asked, standing by the staircase.

"I just have a few things to take care of," Kaname said, reaching for his coat. He didn't really need it but somehow he felt safer in it. He chuckled at the idea.

_A vampire feeling protected inside a jacket. How ridiculous_

"You shouldn't pursue this." Akatsuki stepped closer to him, his large frame lumbering over the smaller, yet dominate vampire. "I don't think it's a good idea, for either of you."

He was shoved against the wall in an instant, Kaname's forearm like steel against his neck.

"I don't recall asking your opinion," he said harshly. It was the first time he had flashed his fangs at Akatsuki. Normally he wouldn't have reacted so harshly, but clearly this meant Aidou had been running his mouth and this infuriated Kaname.

Akatsuki didn't react at all. He didn't even try to push Kaname away. He remained still against the wall, waiting for the pureblood to calm down and release him.

As he thought, Kaname did. "I'm sorry, Akatsuki." He began to button up his coat. "I didn't want this to get around, but apparently there is no way to avoid that. I just want to handle this without interference."

"Have you thought about what you will do if she doesn't want to take things any further?" Akatsuki rubbed his neck gently, trying to dull the pain in his throat. For a small vampire Kaname had a fearful amount o f strength.

"She will." With that, he left the dorms in search of Yuuki.

It didn't take long for him to find her. She was standing against a wall of one of the buildings seemingly lost in thought. He watched her for a few moments, just enjoying the vacant, unaware look on her face.

_I could have her this instant if I wanted to. She would never hear me coming. She wouldn't even have time to call for help._

"Stop it," he scolded himself. Patience was not something he was good at. As a pureblood he never truly had to wait for anything, nor was he accustomed to being denied the things he wanted. On the rare occasions when he was denied, he would usually just take what he wanted, but he wouldn't do that to her. He wanted her to want to be with him.

"Yuuki", he called. She turned around but seemed not to see him. When her back was to him, looking for him in the opposite direction, he walked up behind her.

"Kaname!" Yuuki screamed as she turned back around and was face to face with him. She stumbled backwards, tripping over her feet and nearly falling over, but Kaname caught her before she could connect with the ground. Having her back in his arms sent his body into overdrive and he leaned down to kiss her.

"Stop." She covered his mouth with her hand and made her way back to her feet. "Stop it"

Kaname could feel a slow anger begin to burn inside of him.

_Denied once._

"Why didn't you say anything to me this morning? Why did you leave without saying goodbye?" He heard the irritation in his voice, but hoped Yuuki did not.

"What should I have said?" she asked, looking cautiously behind her. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to catch them out together in the middle of the night.

"I don't know," he answered nervously. He smiled slightly. He hadn't felt this kind of nervousness before. The night before had been excited nervousness, excited for each step they took, excited for each new thing they learned about each other's bodies. This type of nervousness, the feeling of not knowing what he did wrong, not knowing what to do to make it right, was making him sick to his stomach.

"I can't talk about this right now. I'm supposed to be on patrol," she began to walk away but Kaname quickly grabbed her by the wrist.

"I can't have this weighing on me. I need to know what happened between last night and this morning."

"Later, Kaname."

_Denied twice._

His anger rose a degree. "Did you not enjoy what we did last night? Do you regret what happened?"

He felt her pulse race through the veins in her wrist, and felt ashamed by the fact he was getting turned on by it.

"I don't…I don't regret what happened. I just…" She stopped speaking and stared straight passed him.

Kaname turned around to see Zero standing in the distance. Even though he wasn't close enough to hear what was being said, Kaname could see the fury in his eyes.

Zero approached them quickly, only a few steps below a full run, and within moments he was standing between the lovers.

"We have work to do," he said sternly. He removed Kaname's hand from Yuuki's wrist and replaced it with his own. "Let's go."

"I wasn't done speaking with her," Kaname growled.

"Go on ahead Yuuki. I'll catch up with you in a few minutes.

She looked nervously at the two of them. "Zero I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Go."

Further instruction wasn't necessary. She walked away, relieved that her difficult conversation with Kaname had been delayed, but worried about leaving the two of them alone. If two people hated each other more she didn't know who. Nothing too drastic would happen as they were both on school grounds and wouldn't want to draw undue attention to themselves, but that didn't mean she had walked away from a dormant situation.

She didn't know how to explain her feelings to Kaname about what happened the night before. She didn't regret what happened. In fact, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since they'd curled up with each other in the bed. But as the night set in, as the dark set in, she began to have doubts about her decision. What would Kaname expect from her now? Was she supposed to want to do that every time they were alone with each other? Would he always be so patient with her? Was he going to tell other people about it?

She thought of how Zero would react. She cared for Zero, a lot, and wasn't sure exactly to what degree. Would he ever speak to her again if he found out what had happened?

Back by the building, Kaname and Zero began a tense conversation.

"What did you do to her?" Zero asked through grinding teeth.

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"She didn't show up in class today. She only showed up for patrol. She won't talk to me, she won't talk to anybody, and the fact that she clearly doesn't want to talk to you leads me to believe you have something to do with her behavior. So I will ask you again, what did you do to her?"

"You are so certain of everything, Kiryuu. But if you and Yuuki were as close as you wish you were, you would already know what was going on with her. I do know, and that's why I need to talk to her."

"So it was you." Zero's hands balled into fists.

Kaname looked down at Zero's clutched anger and laughed. "You wouldn't be able to do anything to me with those hands, Kiryuu. You might as well tuck them into your pockets. Besides, I'm not looking for a fight with you."

Unconsciously, he put his hands in his pockets. "Just leave her alone, Kuran. She doesn't want you around her right now. And to be honest, for Yuuki to get to the point where she doesn't want to even to talk to you, I don't want you around her either. You'll only upset her more." He turned and walked in the direction that Yuuki went.

_Final denial._

Kaname sighed. He knew what he was going to do, what he had to do, but he really didn't want to do it.

Yuuki turned as she heard footsteps coming up quickly behind her. She was relieved to see it was Zero and not Kaname, and that fact made her sad. What had she done to their relationship? Had she damaged it so fully that seeing Kaname was now a bad thing?

"Sorry I took so long," Zero apologized as he fell in step with her.

"Well you aren't covered in blood and nothing is broken, so I take it the conversation ended without incident?"

Zero smiled. "Kaname isn't a fighter. Of course if he had to fight he could, but violence is never his first choice."

"Yeah. He's good that way," Yuuki said quietly.

They continued walking in silence, not really patrolling anymore, but staying together so neither one would have to be alone. It was Zero who finally broke the silence.

"You and Kaname…what's going on with you two?"

"Nothing," she replied, almost too quickly.

"Yeah…it seemed like that kind of nothing." Zero sighed. "Yuuki listen, I-"

"Wow it's getting really late. We should get back to the dorms," she said cutting him off. She definitely couldn't deal with this right now. It was presumptuous of her to think Zero was talking about any feelings he might have for her, but she decided to err on the side of caution.

"Um, okay. Will you be in class tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I will." Yuuki turned towards her dorm.

"Hey, Yuuki?"

She turned around and was caught off guard by Zero wrapping his arms around her body, pulling her into a tight embrace. "If you need anything, just let me know."

She nodded.

Zero continued to hold on to her, burying his face into her neck.

"Zero, are you okay?"

He straightened up quickly. "Yes I'm fine. I guess I just feel a little bit dizzy."

Her heart rate picked up quickly. She knew what that meant. She knew what Zero wasn't asking. Without a second thought she brushed her hair over her shoulder. "Go ahead, Zero."

Before the guilt could set in, he plunged his fangs into her neck.

She jerked forward, the feeling of him draining her blood intense and tiring. A few minutes passed and he continued to drink.

"Zero…Zero that's enough. I still need enough energy to walk back to my room."

He pulled back slowly, embarrassed by his eager feeding. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

She pulled her collar up around her neck and started the long walk back to her waiting bed.

She was incredibly tired by the time she made it back. Luckily the night class was occupied in school and the day class was in for the night. It was a brief moment of peace and quiet she enjoyed.

She rested her forehead on her door as she slowly turned the handle. "All I need is a good night of rest. I can think about everything tomorrow."

She walked into the dark room and tossed her coat carelessly to the floor.

"You let him feed from you again."

The voice startled her and she fell back against the door, slamming it shut in the process. Now she didn't even have the light from the hallway to direct her. She fumbled for the lights and her fingers touched a hot palm.

"I can smell the blood on you. I can smell him on you." Kaname's voice was dark and threatening.

"Kaname, what…what are you doing here?"

"I told you I wasn't done talking to you." His hand fluttered to her neck, slowly caressing the puncture wound Zero had left. "Why did you let him do it?"

"He…he was…he needed to."

"He didn't need to. We have medication for his condition. He did it because he wanted to, because he knew you would let him."

"He wasn't feeling well. And you know he doesn't do well on those pills."

"It disgusts me," he said harshly, "the idea of his dirty fangs in your perfect neck."

"It's my neck," she said firmly, surprising even herself. "If I allow Zero to do that it's my business, not yours."

"It's my neck." Kaname leaned down and brushed his lips over her ear. "And this is mine." He ran his hands down to her waist and pulled her tightly against his body. Her heart throbbed against his chest and the sound of rushing blood excited him.

"And this is mine." He pressed his face against hers, capturing her lips.

She pushed her hands against his chest, but it was useless. She wouldn't be able to budge him if there were seven of her pushing against him.

He shoved his tongue into her mouth, pulling her body still closer to his.

"Kaname, wait, my hands," Yuuki protested in muffled words. He parted their bodies long enough for her to move her hands from his chest, then continued his assault on her mouth.

He pulled away after a few moments, completely out of breath. The small amount of light from the moon outside was enough for him to see her face and he could see she was absolutely terrified.

_Do I care that she's terrified? Is it enough to make me back off? Is this face enough to make me accept the denials I've gotten all night?_

He sighed. "Yes…yes it is."

"What?" Yuuki asked, her voice quivering. She pulled her arms in and pressed them tightly against her chest.

"Yuuki…" He reached out for her and she slid away from him, her back pressed so tightly against the wall she could have burrowed into it.

He dropped his hand. "I don't…I don't know what I'm doing. I've never had to deal with someone telling me no." He shoved his hands into his pockets as they began itching for her skin again. "That must sound horrible."

"Yes. It does."

He turned around and walked to the window. He stared out into the darkness and spotted something in the distance. He smiled to himself.

_Hello, Kiryuu._

"I'm good at a lot of things, Yuuki. I'm good at school, I'm good at being in charge, and I'm good at being in control. I'm used to being in control." He turned to face her. "I'm not in control anymore, and I don't know what to do with that. The only way I know how to fix a situation I've lost control of is to take that control back, to force whoever is in my way to give up their control. But…that won't work here. That shouldn't work here."

She stared back at him, her silence thundering in his ears. He shoved his frustration down- it wouldn't do him any good. In fact it would only cause this situation to get worse.

"I loved what happened between us last night. I'd love for it to happen again. I'd love for you to want it to happen again…"

Still, nothing from Yuuki.

"I'll leave. I can see that I'm not going to accomplish anything tonight. I've…done too much bad to highlight any good."

He walked to the door, where Yuuki was still cowering against the wall. He brought his hand to her face and gently stroked her cheek. She didn't recoil from his touch. It was some measure of progress, some sign that maybe he'd only destroyed the chance for them to be together, and not the entire friendship. He gripped the doorknob and pulled it open.

"Kaname," she said suddenly. The sound of her voice made his heart jump. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Yuuki." He closed the door softly behind him as he left.


	2. Chapter 2

Eeek! Sorry for the delay. Real life got the best of me, but I will try to stay on top of this story.

The characters going to become more and more OOC as the story moves along and some elements of the history may be slightly altered, so I just wanted to put that out there and I hope it doesn't ruin the experience for anyone. Also there's some lemon in here so I just wanted to include that warning. Thanks for reading. Any comments are greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or anything associated with it, although I do enjoy the wonderful story!

Kaname closed the door and leaned against it, his pride hurt and his emotions in turmoil. How had he let things get so out of control? He'd spent all these years being so careful about the way he acted around her, carving a very careful image. All it took was one night for him to destroy it all.

His thoughts were interrupted by a noise on the other side of the door. He pressed his ear to the door and listened intently.

It was breathing, Yuuki's breathing. It was shallow and quick, like she was going to start crying and he ached to go back into the room and take her into his arms. But he knew he couldn't. Zero was right- all he had done was upset her further.

He began walking back to the Night Class dorms. There was no way he could go to class in the state he was in- in the state he had put himself in. It wasn't like he'd be asked to explain his absence anyway.

"I don't like the look on your face," a deep voice broke into the silence. Kaname had half expected Akatsuki to show up, so he wasn't surprised by the sound of his voice.

"I don't like having to make this face," he responded sourly.

"Are you still going to pursue this?" Akatsuki moved closer as he and Kaname continued walking through the darkness.

Kaname sighed. "I have to."

"Why?"

"Because… I love her. I love her and I want to be with her." Kaname was surprised by how easily those words came from his mouth. Not because he didn't already know it was true, but because it was the first time he said it to anyone but himself.

"Again, I have to ask why." Akatsuki stiffened, not sure what Kaname's reaction would be.

A chuckle escaped from Kaname's lips. "You think she isn't worthy of being loved?"

"Well of course I don't think that. It's just that…so much has to be put on the line for the two of you to be together. I'm just wondering why she's worth the possible consequences."

Kaname didn't answer right away. He thought about it for the duration of the walk until they reached the dorm. Akatsuki didn't press him for an answer either, he just waited patiently. Kaname was sure that if he never responded, the discussion would have ended right there.

"She made me…normal," was the answer that finally came. The two sat down on the steps outside of the dorm and Kaname continued in hushed words.

"She was so terrified when I found her. She was cold, scared, moments away from being destroyed. And even though I am what he was, she didn't see me and him as the same person. She could look at us, see the glaring similarity, and still know that we were not the same. I can't remember another human being able to make that distinction."

"You love her because she made you feel human?"

"Something like that. It sounds weird, I know, but I guess that is the easiest way to explain it. She accepted me, as is, and still does to this day. Well, at least until the other night." Kaname groaned as the past few moments clouded over his sweet memory of their early time together.

"Just be careful. A lot is on the line with this relationship. It doesn't just affect the two of you. You are aware of that?"

A slight twinge of annoyance rose up in the pure blood. "Don't ask useless questions like that. Of course I'm aware of that. If it weren't for that I would have done something about this situation a long time ago. But, I can't live the rest of my life for everyone else."

"Even though we'd all sacrifice our lives for you?" Akatsuki didn't give Kaname a chance to respond. He stood up quickly, clearly angry but never one to reveal it outright, and left Kaname with his numerous thoughts.

Yuuki was lying in bed, gently rubbing the twin puncture wounds on her neck, when there was a soft knock on the door.

"No more," she called out, so quietly she wasn't sure if the person on the other side could hear her.

"It's me Yuuki," Zero's voice came through.

"My statement remains the same."

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine, Zero. Goodnight."

She remained quiet until she heard Zero's footsteps pad softly down the hallway.

It was all too much. Everything had happened so quickly, she wasn't sure what to do with herself. She had never planned for things to go as far as they did with Kaname, but a part of her was incredibly happy that they did. It wasn't that she hadn't thought about it before. In fact, she thought about it often, and it was even better than anything her own imagination was able to create. Still, she had reservations about it.

Could she make a relationship work…with a vampire? What would happen as she became older, and mortality became harder to fend off? Did Kaname even want a serious relationship?

She wished she had thought about these things in more depth before their "study session", but it was too late to go back now, and she wasn't sure she even wanted to go back; she just didn't know how to move forward.

A week had passed and she could still barely pay attention in class. She knew Kaname would come to her again sooner or later, to further repair the damage he believed he caused to their relationship, and she didn't know what she would say to him. It also didn't help that, from that night on, Zero had been hounding her. He wasn't trying to be invasive- he never even questioned her about what took place that night- but his constant surveillance of her was becoming hard to ignore.

She could feel his cold, curious eyes burning a hole through the side of her head as she stared blankly at the front of the classroom.

_I just have to ignore it. I have to act like I don't see him staring at me. If I act normal, maybe everything will just go back to normal. For me, for Kaname, and for Zero._

When the bell for the final class rang, she couldn't have gotten out fast enough. She could hear several people calling after her as she bolted out of the room, including the teacher, but she ignored them all, wanting only to find a place of peace and quiet where she could be alone with her thoughts.

Just as the sun was beginning to dip down below the horizon, she made her way over to an abandoned building located near the Night Class dorms. She had patrolled the area around the building a dozen times before, but she never thought of going into it, until now. With the Day Class finishing and the Night Class beginning in a short time, the transition gave her the perfect opportunity to sneak in unnoticed by either side.

She pushed open the heavy wooden door and let herself inside.

The building looked to be an old church. There were rows of benches lined up on either side of the central aisle, and a small, raised platform in the front was holding up a worn down podium. She closed the door behind her and took a few steps down the aisle.

"They really should chain this building up or knock it down," a voice joked from somewhere inside. Yuuki scanned the poorly lit space and saw a leg hanging over the back of one of the central benches. Aidou sat up, his usual warm yet unsettling grin on his face.

Yuuki took a step back, startled by the presence of someone else. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize this space was already taken." She went to leave, but quickly felt a hand around her wrist. She turned around and locked eyes with Aidou.

"No reason to run out so quickly," he said pleasantly as he pulled her further into the depths of the building.

"It's okay, really. I can…I can go somewhere else," she stammered. "I didn't mean to intrude."

"No intrusion at all. In fact this makes my job much easier."

"Your job?" Yuuki questioned.

Aidou nodded. "I've been waiting to find you alone for a while now. So far you've done a fairly good job at complicating my task."

Yuuki looked at him, confused.

"Kaname had asked me to find you and bring you to him. I thought I'd have to tell him that it just wasn't possible, but since you found me instead you've saved me the trouble of delivering unpleasant news."

He led her to an oak door in the back of the building. As he opened it, a tunnel on the other side, lit up by old, flickering lights came into view.

"What is this?" Yuuki barely noticed the urgency with which Aidou was pulling her.

"It leads back to the dorms. Most students aren't aware of this tunnel, or if they are they know better than admit to it. It makes moving around the campus a little easier since no one expects people to come out of that old building. Kaname doesn't like his moves to be watched too closely so if he needs to he uses this route." He turned and smiled at her but it only made her more uncomfortable.

It wasn't long before they had reached the end of the tunnel and he'd pushed open another door.

They entered a long, minimally decorated hallway and walked for quite a distance before stopping in front of another door.

"It's his room, isn't it?" she asked nervously.

"It's more of an office." Aidou briefly knocked on the wood.

"Thank you Aidou," Kaname responded. Aidou opened the door and led Yuuki inside.

Kaname was sitting at a desk situated in front of a large window. The curtains were drawn, as the sun hadn't fully gone down, and just the thickness of them suddenly made the room feel small.

Aidou backed out of the room without saying a word and shut the door behind him.

It was the first time they'd been alone since he snuck into her room.

Kaname was the first to speak. "I actually didn't expect to see you tonight. Aidou can be terribly lazy and unfocused. I'm surprised he was able to find you and bring you here."

"Actually I found him when I wandered into that old church," Yuuki corrected.

Kaname smiled sheepishly. "Yes. That would make more sense than him actually succeeding in the task due to his own effort."

He motioned for Yuuki to sit down on a couch adjacent from the desk and she did.

"The first thing I wanted to do was apologize, for everything," he began. "I know that I haven't been myself with you and it must make you uncomfortable."

She stared vacantly back at him.

He continued. "When we were…together…I don't… I don't know what your feelings are about it, but I'm not sorry it happened. It may not have happened exactly the way I had thought it would…but, all the same I was happy to be with you."

"I was happy to be with you too," Yuuki agreed in a quiet voice.

Her response energized Kaname and he stood up from his chair. "May I?" he asked, pointing to the empty spot next to her on the couch. She nodded and he quickly made his way over to her.

He sat down and took her hands in his. "You have always been very special to me and I have always wanted to be very special to you. I hesitate to think that I am very special to you-"

"Of course you are!" She insisted.

Her volume flustered him momentarily.

"If I am special to you, then I have to know, why did you leave so abruptly that morning? What was going through your head? What were you feeling?"

He waited patiently for her answer. When she finally looked up at him, he saw that her eyes had begun to water.

"It was just all…things went very quickly and I didn't know what was going to happen as a result."

Kaname sighed, slightly frustrated at having to explain himself again. "Yuuki, you must have known how I felt about you, how I've always felt about you. What did you think the consequences of that night were going to be?"

"Maybe, you wouldn't look at me the same way."

A loud groan escaped his frowning lips.

"No, I mean it. You've always treated me as…a kid. I was someone that you looked after and kept out of trouble. You've always treated me, and I hope this doesn't sound insulting, but you've always treated me as a naïve, innocent child who needed protection."

She shifted uncomfortably under his intense stare. "I know I'm not like the other girls here. You trust them to be able to protect themselves. You see them as responsible, capable people. What happened the other night, as wonderful as it was, was somewhat irresponsible of me. I went into it without thinking and…I didn't want validate what you thought about me." She quickly wiped away a tear that had managed to escape.

He put her hands in her lap and leaned towards her, gently stroking her hair. "That's it?" He did his best to stifle a chuckle.

Yuuki pulled back from him, offended by the trivialization of her confession. "That's exactly what I mean. As serious as I'm trying to be, you still don't take me seriously."

His fingers tangled into her hair and he shifted his body closer. "I didn't mean to make it sound like you feelings aren't important or aren't serious. I understand what you're saying and I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. It's just that…I don't look at you the way you think I do."

He moved his head closer to hers, waiting to see if she would pull back from him again. When she didn't he gently pressed his lips against hers.

She moaned softly against his mouth. It was a nervous moan, if that was possible, as if she were deciding how she felt about the kiss.

He broke it and pressed his forehead against hers. "Yuuki, I know you're not naïve, or irresponsible, or incapable of protecting yourself. But knowing all of that doesn't stop me from wanting to protect you. You can see that, can't you?"

"But…I don't need protecting," she continued to protest.

"I know," he said, dropping his face down plant a kiss on her neck, "but I have to do it. It will sound selfish, but I protect you for my own sake as well as yours."

She reached her hand to his shoulder and squeezed lightly as his kisses migrated to her collarbone.

He looked up at her. "Do you want to stop?"

She tightened her grip on his shoulder and looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Do you want me to not ask you that question, so you aren't forced to answer it?"

Her body relaxed and she fell forward into him. The smell of her hair filled his senses, and his mind was thrown back to that night in the room.

Gently, he turned her body around to face him and they both kneeled in front of each other on the couch.

"How far…I mean…I don't like not knowing what the limits are. I don't want to cross the line with you again."

"I don't know what the limit is, Kaname. I don't even know what we are anymore."

He sat back on his legs, waiting for an explanation.

"That night in your room…afterwards…I spent the whole night thinking, 'how will this change our relationship'? I mean there was the obvious difference because of what had just happened, but I didn't know how it would be different long term."

"If you're asking me if this is a serious relationship, then the answer is yes. You are the person I want to be with. It isn't an issue of convenience or curiosity or hormones. I truly want to be with only you, Yuuki. I guess that's why I felt, and acted, territorial last week. I shouldn't have gotten into it with Kiryuu, and I certainly shouldn't have shown up in your room like that. I'm not perfect but I am trying."

Yuuki's face softened into a look of comfort. "I know you are."

This time she initiated the kiss. When her lips touched his, delicately and softly, his insides began to burn.

He felt her tongue brush against his bottom lip and he eagerly accepted her into his mouth. He could feel the relief wash over him as he moved closer, pressing his body against hers.

His insecurities, which were unfamiliar to him to begin with, were vanishing as the kiss continued.

He stroked her arm before picking it up and putting it around his neck, and repeating the action with her other arm. If it had been possible he would have absorbed her completely into his own body, but having her so tightly wrapped around him would have to do.

She pulled back and her eyes traveled across the room.

"Is there any place where…"

"What?" he asked, desperate not to stop.

"Somewhere more…comfortable?"

He quickly mapped out the building in his head. "Well yes of course there is but…"

"But?"

"But with the Night Class still in the building I don't want to…"

"Well what about the old building? The one Aidou took me from?"

"Nothing in that building has been comfortable in about 70 years," Kaname laughed.

Yuuki exhaled roughly, mildly frustrated and embarrassed. "Well, there's no need to do things again so quickly, I suppose." The defeat in her voice was evident, though it was nothing compared to Kaname's aggravation.

She stood up from the couch, much to Kaname's disappointment. "Would it be okay if I had something to drink?" she asked, spying the pitcher of water on his desk.

"Of course it's okay. I have paper cups in the bathroom over there. Sorry, normally I have actually glasses."

She made her way into the bathroom at the other end of them room to retrieve a cup. After a few moments of searching, she called out to him.

"Kaname, I can't find the cups."

He walked towards the bathroom but stopped short of entering. Framed by the black tile walls, Yuuki looked angelic. Her arms were behind her, hands placed firmly against the counter as she leaned back and awaited his assistance. Kaname couldn't help but feel aroused.

He shook the image out of his mind and went about the task of finding her a cup. He approached the mirror above the sink and was surprised when Yuuki didn't step out of the way. He reached over her, doing his best not to crush her between his body and the marble counter, and popped the mirror forward, revealing a medicine cabinet with a stack of plastic cups inside.

"Oh," she said in surprise as Kaname close the mirror and handed her the cup. "I didn't even think to check there."

"How comfortable?" Kaname asked suddenly.

"What?"

"The place where… how comfortable do you need it to be?"

"Kaname, I don't understand…" Her words fell as she felt Kaname take hold of her waist with both hands. "You mean…here?"

"I know it's not ideal but…" He stepped forward, pressing himself into her body and pressing her against the counter.

"What if someone hears us?" she asked with a noticeable tremble in her voice.

"We'll stop," he said quickly, leaning his head forward and pressing his face into the curve of her neck.

The giggle came almost automatically. "You won't stop."

"Then they'll just have to go away."

His hands were behind her now, palms damp, pressing against her own clammy hands. He felt more in control of the situation than he had last time. There wasn't the same sense of urgency- the feeling of 'this may never happen again'. Nor was there the overexcitement of it being the first time.

Her knees shook as she heard him inhale deeply against her throat. She wasn't sure why. Zero had bitten into her more times than she could count- so often that she never gave it a second thought when he needed to drink from her. But when Kaname was near her throat, the feeling was so much more intense. Zero did it because he needed to, because he was weak without it, but Kaname would do it for the sheer pleasure it would bring to him.

He brought his face to hers and kissed her again, his desire apparent in the pressure she felt on her lips. Without warning he took her by the waist and hoisted her onto the counter. He placed a hand behind her head to steady her as the quickness of the movement had her leaning to far back.

He didn't break the kiss as he slowly undid the first button on her shirt. Within moments another one was open. The unlatched third button finally began to reveal the soft, pale body inside the clothing.

He pulled away and stared at her flesh, causing Yuuki to blush and hunch her shoulders.

"Your body is beautiful. There's no reason to be modest," he whispered, almost as if he were talking to himself.

He opened the rest of the buttons and slipped the shirt from her shoulders, leaving it on from the crook of her elbows down.

He watched her heart beat in her chest- watched with curiosity, and delight, and a deep, deep hunger. "It's amazing- watching life pump through you so systematically. You probably don't even notice how prominent it is to someone like me. To see it and hear it…" Lost in thought, he brought his face to her chest and pressed against it. She could almost hear him purring.

Slowly, he began to caress her thigh, and then he laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Your heart," he answered; a slight smile on his face. "It got so fast so quickly."

He moved further up her leg until he could feel the cotton beneath her skirt. After a moment's hesitation, he rubbed his palm gently over her and she inhaled deeply.

She struggled to get her arms free from her shirt but he raised a hand to stop her.

"Leave it that way a little longer, please."

He moved to her ear and whispered, "I'm going to start now."

He slipped his hand into the fabric and slowly teased her.

She curled her toes in response and moaned softly to herself. The confusion of the past week, the questions she'd only just gotten answers to, had made her forget just how good it felt for him to touch her in such an intimate way. She inched forward on the counter to allow him freer access.

He continued to stroke her, refusing to actually penetrate her until he felt the moment was right. He raised her up slightly so he could pull her panties off completely and she wrapped her legs around his waist in an attempt to push him over the edge.

He had to admit, he wanted to be inside of her. He wanted to be inside of her yesterday, and the day before that. He wanted to be inside her tomorrow and the day after that. If it was possible, he'd spend the rest of his existence making love to her, stopping only to shower and eat.

Defeated by his own thoughts and desires, he relented and pushed two fingers into her. Immediately, the legs wrapped around his body clamped together.

"Relax," he said in a hushed tone, and slowly her legs loosened and fell back against the counter. He felt slight movements from her and chuckled as she tossed her shirt down to the floor.

"How did you manage to do that," he asked, knowing that the steady rhythm of his fingers would make it difficult to answer.

Yuuki didn't bother to. She rested her chin on his shoulder and reached down to the button on his pants. He didn't stop her. He had tormented them both long enough.

When she finally had the zipper down, he backed away and stepped out of them and his boxers, then pulled her down off of the counter.

"Turn around."

"No. I want to be able to look at you," she insisted.

"You'll be able to."

He turned her around and pointed to the mirror in front of them.

She gulped. It was one thing to watch him as he was inside of her. It was quite another to watch him watch her while he was inside of her.

"It may be a bit awkward at first but…I want you to see what I see."

He pressed his chest against her back, causing her to lean forward over the counter. She gripped the sides of it as she felt him flip her skirt up over her hips and position himself.

With slow, controlled movements, he pushed himself inside of her. She took a deep breath and held it as her body worked to accommodate him. After a few tense moments, he started to move inside of her.

Her body moved just as he'd remembered it, and her moans and soft cries created flashes of their first night together in his mind.

He held onto her waist with one hand and slipped his other arm underneath hers. He reached up and gently pulled on the fabric embracing her chest and pulled down on it, earning a shriek as the new exposed portion of her body met with the cooler temperatures of the room.

He squeezed gently, losing himself in the feeling of her body around him in clutched in his grasp.

"Look up, Yuuki," he instructed.

Reluctantly, she lifted her head and stared into the mirror. She could see herself, lips parted, eyes half open. Beads of sweat hung like a necklace around her throat. She watched the pattern of her body jerking towards the mirror and then away again. She shifted her gaze to look at him.

He was staring straight at her through the mirror. His gaze was forceful it was if she was looking him straight in the eyes, face to face. His hair, now clumped together with sweat, was sticking to his forehead. His lips, normally thin and pale in color, looked full and deep in color.

His eyes fluttered before finally closing. His movements became more insistent as he got closer to reaching his peak.

"Yuuki," he moaned, moving his hand from her breast back to her waist.

They both froze as the sudden sound of a turning doorknob crashed into their ears. Instinctively, Kaname brought his hand to her mouth and covered it.

They waited, awkwardly positioned over the sink, to learn what the consequences would be for their impatient tryst.


	3. Chapter 3

It's a good thing I don't work within deadlines because I would FAIL miserably! It's been too long since I've returned to the story, so a brief moment will be used to explain why.

Since writing chapter 2, I have caught up on my reading of the US release of the Vampire Knight manga and well… the comments people made regarding Yuuki and Kaname's connection to each other make sense now. Lol. That being the case I found myself stuck, as this entire fan fiction relationship is kind of thrown out of the window by what actually happens in the manga, thereby steering things way off course. I was going to just scrap the story but I kind of want to keep it going. So with all that being said, just a warning that this won't follow the manga or anime (have only seen season 1 of the anime) and the updates will be irregular as I try to figure out a way to navigate this precious little corner I've painted myself into. Hope it's still enjoyable!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything connected to Vampire Knight.

* * *

The sound of the doorknob turning stopped, but there was no sign that the person had moved away from the door. Kaname could feel Yuuki talking against his hand so he moved it.

"Did you lock the door?" She whispered.

"Of Course not," he whispered back. "I never lock my doors. No one would ever think of coming in without announcing themselves first."

"Okay that is going to have to change if we are going to continue seeing each other."

He couldn't help but smile at the irritation in her voice.

They waited a few more moments with no sign of interruption.

"Should we continue, Yuuki?" Kaname already had his lips pressed against her neck before she could respond, and was slowly rocking into her body again.

"We should…make sure…they left." Yuuki could barely get the words out of her mouth.

As if on cue, they were disturbed again, but this time someone was banging on the door.

Startled, Kaname's fangs were out instantly, and they pierced the area between Yuuki's neck and shoulder where he had been kissing her.

The sudden pain of the intrusion into her flesh, coupled with the fact he was still inside of her, made Yuuki collapse forward onto the sink.

"Oh, God! I'm sorry, Yuuki! I didn't mean…" The smell of her blood hit him like a wrecking ball. He shook against the urge to plunge his face into the dual streams of blood.

Yuuki could sense his struggle. "You can drink from me…Kaname." She tilted her head to the side, exposing the wound and willing him closer.

"No. I won't drink from you. Not in a situation like this. Not when it's a convenient accident." He managed to convince himself his statement was true long enough to step away. "You should get dressed."

He put his clothes on mechanically, his mind too focused on the wrath brewing in him. Whoever was on the other side of that door had mere minutes to live.

Yuuki put on her last items of clothing, watching Kaname warily, seeing the anger grow in his face.

"Don't hurt whoever that is," she said softly.

He wasn't listening.

"I'm going to deal with whoever is out there. Stay in here. I'll go into the hallway to…talk…to them."

He was out of the room in a flash, leaving Yuuki behind to wait nervously at his desk.

Ichijo didn't see him coming. All he knew was he was slumped down against the wall with Kaname glaring at him from above.

"I'm sorry but there's an emergency," he spat out. He ignored the discomfort spreading through his back from the lightning assault.

"What is it?" Kaname asked, teeth clenched but anger slowly subsiding.

"There was an attack on a day class student. We know the attacker's location and we need to stop him before he hurts anyone else."

At this Kaname regained his calculated composure. "Who is it?"

Yuuki continued to wait. She pulled the curtains back and peeked outside. The darkness had finally taken over the night, and there was nothing to be seen but the areas the moon cast down on, and the scattered lamps along the pathways. Then she saw him, Akatsuki, running from the front gate into the darkness. A few minutes later Shiki came running out. Then another. She counted five before the sound of the door opening snapped her focus.

Kaname rushed to her side. "Listen to me, Yuuki. It is very important that you stay here, in this room, until I get back. Do you understand?"

"What's going on?" she asked, growing increasingly worried.

"Do you understand?" he repeated.

"I saw a bunch of night class students running out of the dorm. What's happening?"

"I'll come back for you as soon as I can." He grabbed her face in his hands and pulled her into an intense kiss. He wished he didn't have to stop kissing her, but there were more pressing matters to deal with.

He ran quickly into the bathroom.

Yuuki heard the sink running, and then he returned with a washcloth.

"I'm sorry I can't do more for this right now." He took the wet washcloth and put it over her wound. "Keep this on there. I don't want the smell of your blood leaving this room. It's not safe to have you bleeding and unattended, especially in this dorm."

"Where are you going?" She asked as he stepped one foot out of the door.

He turned to her and opened his mouth as if he was going to speak, then closed it again.

"Come on! We have to get out there and find him," Ichijo called from somewhere in the hallway. "Someone else will get hurt if we don't do something soon. You know how dangerous Level E's are."

Her heart jumped into her throat immediately. "Kaname, who are you looking for?"

He dropped his eyes to the floor and backed out, closing the door behind him.

Yuuki was at the door in a flash, but not before she heard the click of the lock turning.

"Kaname!" She screamed. Her hands balled into fists and she pounded them into the door. "Kaname, is it him? Is it Zero? Answer me!"

The only response she got was the sound of more pounding footsteps down the hallway. It sounded like six or seven people had run by, each footstep sounding faster and more urgent than the one before it.

She ran back to the window and pulled the curtains wide open. She could just barely make out the figures running, fanning out in different directions in pairs.

Her face was wet before she even realized she was crying.

_It could be Zero they're out there hunting, hunting him down like a wild animal. Right now he could be surrounded by them…I have to figure out a way to get out of here._

She knew Kaname had locked the door behind him so that option was out. The only viable option was the window.

She balanced one hand on his desk, and did a side kick towards the window. The pain of denial shot through her leg, swept threw her knee cap, and lodged firmly in her thigh. She slumped down on her good knee, holding the painfully vibrating one in her arms.

"Should have known they wouldn't have windows that broke that easily." She said to herself. It took longer than she would have liked for her to be able to stand on both legs again, but she was determined to get out, to save Zero from the vampire mob that was after him.

She stood in front of the window and studied it. There didn't seem to be any way to just open it; no latch on the top to unlock and no lip on the bottom to pull up on.

"I guess I have to find a way to break it."

She checked around the room for something to assist her in the task and found one object that could possibly do the trick.

With all the strength she had, she picked up the chair behind Kaname's desk and threw it at the window.

The window fractured, spider web lines covering its surface, but it did not break. She picked up the chair and threw it a second time.

More webs, still no breakage.

She had the chair in her hand when she thought she heard a noise behind her.

She spun around, nearly dropping the chair on her foot, just in time to see the office door swing in slightly.

She put the chair down softly, willing her nerves to stabilize as she slowly approached the door.

"Hello?" She called out.

There was no answer.

She pulled the door open a little more and stuck her head into the hallway.

It was dark; almost pitch black except for the spots along the wall illuminated the dim hallway lights.

"Hello?" she called out again.

Again, no answer.

She had her way out, the exit she was looking for, but this wasn't right. This wasn't right at all. It certainly wasn't Kaname who had opened the door, and she couldn't imagine any of the night class students taking it upon themselves to open it either.

She felt a rush of adrenaline as she took a step back to open the door all the way. She stood in the frame, pulse racing, lungs crushed under the weight of her fear. The fear of staying in the room and doing nothing, and the fear of running out into a situation that looked very much like a trap. She knew she didn't have a long time to decide what she was going to do, and deep down, she knew what she had to do.

She took a deep breath, held it for a moment then sprinted out of the room and down the hallway. She just hoped that she would be able to find Zero before her whoever released her from the room caught up with her.

* * *

Sorry it's such a short chapter. The next one will be longer.


End file.
